Lifelong Learning Lecture Series

This free lecture series is a partnership between Framingham State University (FSU) and Framingham Public Library (FPL). The series is sponsored by a grant from The Joseph L. and Ray L. Freund Foundation, courtesy of Elizabeth F. Fideler.

Lifelong Learning Lecture Series. Spring 2026.

All lectures take place on Zoom. To receive the Zoom link, please join our Lifelong Learning Lectures mailing list at bit.ly/Lifelong-Learning-Lectures.

Recordings of these events are not always available, based on copyright constraints and other factors. To avoid missing these great talks, please join us live on Zoom! Whether or not a program is recorded may not be announced before the event. If a recording is available, it will be posted to youtube.com/FraminghamPublicLibrary no later than one week after the event takes place.

Lecture Descriptions

Disinformation, Misinformation, and Just Plain Lies: Trying to Find Trustworthy Information in Politics

Dr. David Smailes, Former Associate Professor of Political Science, Law and Global Studies, Framingham State University
January 15, 7PM | Zoom

We live in an age where information about politics is more readily available than ever, but we also seem to feel more uncertain about how much of that information we can trust. Join us as we examine how information is often manipulated in political discussions and how we can be on our guard against information that is designed to mislead us.

Revolutionary Routes: Henry Knox, Framingham, and the Winter Road to Victory

Anna Tucker, Executive Director, Framingham History Center
February 12, PM | Zoom

In the winter of 1775–1776, Colonel Henry Knox undertook one of the most ambitious logistical feats of the American Revolution: transporting nearly sixty tons of captured artillery from Fort Ticonderoga in New York to the Continental Army outside Boston. This journey passed directly through Framingham, where Knox paused for reasons that historians continue to debate today.

In the 250th anniversary year of the Declaration of Independence, this lecture revisits Knox’s route to understand how local landscapes like Framingham shaped this larger campaign. Join Framingham History Center Executive Director Anna Tucker for an exploration of the human and environmental challenges of the journey, the significance of the "Noble Train of Artillery" in the final push to force the British from Boston, and the ways this story has been remembered over generations.

The Revolutionary Legacy of the Free Press

Dr. Joseph M. Adelman, Professor of History, Framingham State University
February 26, 7PM | Zoom

Since the ratification of the First Amendment in 1791, the Constitution has promised to safeguard "freedom of the press." The meaning of the phrase has changed significantly as news media has grown and expanded from the weekly newspapers of the eighteenth century to the international corporations that own television and internet today. Join us for an exploration of the origins of the "free press" in the American Revolution and how those principles can protect the press today.

The Boston Molasses Flood

Jon Huibregtse, Professor Emeritus, History, Framingham State University
March 12, 7PM | Zoom

In January 1919, a molasses storage tank in Boston's North End collapsed, flooding the neighborhood with approximately 2-million gallons of molasses. The 25-foot high tidal wave of molasses destroyed buildings, almost knocked over the elevated railroad track, and killed 21 people. This talk explores the reasons for the tank’s collapse and its aftermath which led to greater regulation of construction and a huge (for the period) civil judgement against the tank’s owner.

Elizabeth Gaskell and the Perils of Biography

Dr. Helen Heineman, President Emerita, Framingham State University
April 2, 7 PM |  Zoom

Charlotte Brontë‘s early death left her friends and public demanding answers. Tasked with telling the story of her tragic life, fellow writer and friend Elizabeth Gaskell investigated, uncovering secrets more incredible than any fiction. Charlotte Brontë, the legend, was born. Determined to deliver justice to her subject,Gaskell described those who mistreated her in the book, so controversial it was banned within weeks. Ever since historians have argued about how much of it is true.

Gaskell’s biography sheds light on the dramatic events of Brontë‘s life. Lawyers threatened to sue. The head of lowood school denied the truth of her accounts. Charlotte‘s great fame made reluctant celebrities of those who had known her. Mrs.Gaskell stipulated in her will that no one could write her own life story until all parties concerned had died. This lecture describes Mrs. Gaskell’s biography and assesses the truth of her representation.

Not All In: Race, Immigration, and Health Care Exclusion in the Age of Obamacare

Tiffany D. Joseph, Associate Professor of Sociology and International Affairs, Northeastern University
April 16, 7PM | Zoom

Immigration and health policy have been at the core of recent U.S. legislative debates. Explore how the intersection of both has narrowed healthcare access for immigrant and citizen residents of the Commonwealth under the Massachusetts and Affordable Care Act (ACA) reforms and the dismantling of the ACA,